Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
1. Technical Field
The field of the present invention is the manufacture and use of disposable filtering face masks.
2. Background Art
Airline travel is a common form of transportation with millions of passenger miles flown each year. However, in the confined seating area of an airplane cabin, passengers are likely to come in contact with bacteria or other germs carried by other passengers seated in close proximity. Some of the diseases that can be caused by inhalation of bacteria include pneumonia, Legionnaire""s disease, diphtheria, meningitis, whooping cough, Q-fever, and tuberculosis. The inhalation of virus can cause the common cold, influenza, measles, mumps, chicken pox, shingles, and infectious mononucleosis. Further, since the air in the airplane cabin is commonly re-circulated, a passenger may be exposed to bacteria or other germs expelled by another passenger seated in a distant area of the cabin. For example, a passenger sitting at the rear of the aircraft cabin may sneeze, thereby introducing numerous bacteria and other germs into the surrounding air. Not only will these germs travel to nearby passengers, but the germs will be transported by the airplane""s air recirculation system to other passengers throughout the cabin. In such a manner, germs emanating from a single person anywhere on the aircraft may be transported to expose the rest of the passengers to that person""s germs.
It is thereby common for airplane passengers to be infected and fall ill after traveling on an airplane. Such illness is not only uncomfortable but can lead to lost work or even long-term health problems. Not only is exposure to germs a problem, but the recirculated air in an airplane cabin may carry other dangerous contaminants. For example, to improve the quality of air in the cabin, outside air may be introduced into the cabin. Thereby the cabin air may contain a component of fresh air. This outside air is cold and therefore must be warmed before entering the cabin. Typically this cold air is warmed using the plane""s engine. In the process of being warmed the air may contact hydraulic fluids or lubricating oils before being expelled into the cabin. In such a manner the warmed air may contain dangerous hydrocarbon products. Exposure to such hydrocarbon products has also been linked with health problems.
Others have tried to protect humans from bacterial contact while in airplanes.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,315,674 discloses a filter mask facelet so that crewmen can avoid contamination from other crewmen when using masks. However, such a device is large, bulky, and expensive, and therefore would not be practical for use by passengers in the cabin area of a modern airliner.
Other such complicated filtering masks include U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,747,599 and 4,141,703. Both patents disclose sophisticated mask systems for protecting the wearer. However, both are complicated and expensive devices which would not be practicable for implementation in an airline cabin. Further, all three masks described thus far would substantially interfere with passenger communication. Such interference would not only be an annoyance to the passenger, but could become critical in an emergency situation.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,312 discloses a non-entraining filter to be worn on the face. However, this mask is constructed of a specially constructed filtering membrane. For example, such a filtering material may be created by cutting holes with a laser or by etching the membrane using x-ray lithography. With such sophisticated manufacturing techniques, the mask of the ""312 patent is a permanent mask not appropriate for use as a single-use, disposable mask.
U.S. Patent No. 5,707,803 discloses an easier to manufacture disposable face mask. The face mask of the ""803 patent provides a disposable mask for use by healthcare professionals when there is a risk of exposure to tuberculosis. In particular the ""803 patent discloses a sealing system that reduces the spread of contamination by providing improved resistance to leakage. Further, U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,470 discloses other surgical masks to be worn by healthcare professionals while administering healthcare functions.
With the increase in use of lasers in medical procedures, new protective masks have been developed to protect health care professionals. In particular, xe2x80x9claser masksxe2x80x9d have been developed that filter the tiny airborne vaporized debris from laser surgery procedures.
Another problematic air-borne contaminate is caused by dust mites. Dust mites are microscopic organisms which live in pillows and headrests, for example. Dust mites thrive on the warmth and humidity provided by the human head and therefore thrive in these pillows and headrests. Over time dust mites produce waste which builds up in the pillows and headrests. Thereby, when a human""s head compresses a pillow or headrest, the air expelled will contain quantities of airborne dust mite waste. This airborne dust mite waste contributes to asthma, sinusitis and other respiratory allergies. Indeed, mite waste is the number one cause of year-round hay fever symptoms. Traditional approaches to controlling dust mite waste have resulted in uncomfortable and unfamiliar coverings being placed on headrests and pillows. Therefore, there exists a need to protect air travelers from exposure to dust mite waste from pillows and headrests.
Therefore, there exists a need for a disposable mask which may be inexpensively manufactured from commonly available materials, but yet protects from the inhalation of air-borne contaminants.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a disposable mask for protecting air travelers from airborne contaminants.
In a further separate aspect of the present invention it is desired the disposable travel mask be constructed of commonly available materials in a cost efficient manner.
Therefore, to meet the above objectives and overcome the disadvantages in the art, herein is a provided a novel disposal face mask. A disposable travel mask has a body and is held in position over the nose and mouth of a wearer. The body of the mask has a filter area for entrapping air-borne contaminates. The filter area has at least two layers, such as an inner layer adjacent the wearer""s mouth and an outer layer. The outer layer entraps large contaminates such as dust and also traps at least a portion of the bacteria or other germs. The other layer entraps contaminates that have passed through the first layer. The travel mask may be assembled from commonly available materials. For example, an anti-allergen filter material may be sealed to a surgical mask or a laser mask. The travel mask may have a printed design or pattern to make the travel mask more aesthetically pleasing and to allow the travel mask to better blend into a travel environment.
Advantageously, the novel disposable face mask provides superior bacterial and contaminant protection for its wearer at a reasonable cost. Thereby, passengers boarding an aircraft may readily purchase a disposable travel mask and comfortably wear the disposable travel mask while in flight. At flight termination, the wearer simply disposes of the mask upon exiting the aircraft.